The Distance InBetween
by Kari Kurofai
Summary: Follow up to Deathly Hallows. Harry isn't too thrilled to find out that they all must repeat the school year they missed while searching for the Horcruxes. Draco/Harry, Harry/Draco, Harry/Ginny, Ron/Hermione, Neville/Luna.


**The Distance In-Between: Starting Over**

Harry had to say with complete honesty that he was surprised when Charlie approached them with three identical, familiar envelopes in his hand. He hadn't expected to see letters like that again until he had children of his own, or at the very least, when Teddy turned eleven, which was eleven years away. Said baby was balanced in the crook of his right arm, his other hand occupied with his god son's bottle, but his eyes fascinated by the child's every changing hair color. Ron and Hermione were seated across the table from him, going over Ginny's school list with a definite look of confusion on both their faces. It had been just as Ginny remarked for the third time that this list was identical to the one she had received last year when Charlie had walked in with the three letters in hand, giving them all a look that made Harry's heart sink.

"Guess who's going back to school?" the second oldest Weasly asked cheerfully, tossing the three of them the letters. He ignored the horrified look on Ron's face, and the triumphant one on Hermione's, instead turning to glance at Harry, who had set down the bottle to put his head in his free hand. "What, you thought McGonagall was going to let you all skip your seventh year? Ha." He waved a hand airily, "Saving the world or not, Harry, you can't graduate unless your courses are completed. And in McGonagall's own words, 'can't be an Auror.'"

"Is everyone repeating a year then?" Hermione asked quizzically, having already ripped her letter open, "There can't be two groups of seventh years, can there?"

"Oh no, of course not," Charlie smiled knowledgeably, "There will be two groups of first years. After that shitty bunch of nonsense last year, everyone has to repeat. Learning how to torture people and brew up poison wasn't learning at all, really. They can't send you all on a year with that in your heads. Plus, all those muggle-borns and half-bloods didn't get to attend at all, not to mention most of your lot's year." He shrugged, "And frankly, you probably need it too," his gaze locked on Ron, who huffed indignantly.

"I'm all for it," Hermione said eagerly before Harry could open his mouth to protest. "And besides, Harry, you'd get to play one last year's worth of Quidditch, right Ron?"

Ron's eyes instantly lit up at the thought, "Oh, that'd be nice. And we'd totally kick arse too without Malfoy there to taunt us and all-"

Charlie raised an eyebrow, "Whoa, who said that Malfoy wasn't going to be there?"

The youngest Weasly boy's mouth dropped open in horror, "Wh-what? He can't possibly be allowed back, after everything he did? Plus, his uppity snot of a father would never let him-"

"Malfoy has officially succeeded from his family as of two o'clock yesterday afternoon," Charlie informed him blandly, "Because of this exact reason, among others. And if you have any questions about why he'd be allowed back at all," he cleared his throat, "I suggest you take it up with Dumbledore. But since that is impossible-"

"Dumbledore?" it was Harry's turn to look shocked, "What does he have to do with something like that . . . Oh, don't tell me . . ."

"It was in his will," Charlie confirmed, "that Draco Malfoy be allowed back inside Hogwarts grounds."

Harry bit his lip as Ron groaned audibly and rolled his eyes. He too couldn't help but wonder what stupidity had gone through Dumbledore's head when he'd written that, but he didn't question it. Dumbledore had always been right before, why not now. Though if he said so himself, this was definitely a false judge of character on the former headmaster's part.

But then again, maybe it wasn't. Harry continued to chew thoughtfully on his lip as he went back to feeding Teddy without another word. Maybe it was he himself who was a horrid judge of character. He clenched his fingers around the bottle as he thought of the blood that had stained his hands and the front of his shirt when he'd been kneeling on the floor of the Shrieking Shack, staring into fading obsidian eyes.

"_Look . . . At me . . . ."_

How many times had he seen that look on Snape's face before then, he couldn't recall. That look that clearly went right past him and right through him all at the same time, as if seeing a memory or a dream rather than Harry himself. He wished he could have asked him more about his mother, had he known sooner. Hell, if the potion's master had been alive now, Harry probably would have thanked him as he'd never thanked anyone before. If it hadn't been for Snape, he would have been dead long, long ago.

It was Charlie that jerked him back out of his daze, "But the newer first years will be taking over your old dorms," he said promptly, which made Harry realize he'd missed a whole portion of the conversation.

"Please tell me we're not sleeping in the dungeons or something," Ron said darkly, shivering at the thought of sharing quarters with the Slytherins.

"No, a new wing has been magically built in the third floor corridor," Hermione's eyebrows raised with recognition as he said this. "There's been free space there for years, after the trouble you lot cause in your first year. So now it's been converted into the seventh year dorms."

"You don't mean," Hermione started in shock.

"_All_ the seventh years!" Ron finished, looking stricken, "I don't want Malfoy even in the school, let alone in the same _bedroom_ as me!"

Harry rolled his eyes as Ron suddenly blushed and sputtered, becoming aware of what he'd just said, while Hermione looked off to the side as if she hadn't heard at all. Charlie however had to sit down to keep from falling to the floor as he laughed. "Well, sorry bro, that's how it is. Get used to it. All the boys in one room, all the girls in the other."

Ron groaned and slumped down in his seat, slowly sinking towards the floor, "And, pray tell, how you know about all this? Because I'm getting a sinking feeling that you're about to make my year a whole lot worse."

"Who me?" Charlie asked, feigning innocence, "Never. I'm just picking up old Snape-a-doodle's position in the Defense Against The Dark Arts post is all." The youngest Weasly whimpered and sunk even lower into his chair. "Oh, and George is filling in for Transfiguration," he added suddenly, "With McGonagall being Headmistress and all." Ron slid beneath the table with a moan of horror, Hermione staring at the ceiling as if she didn't know him at all. Harry just sat there in a daze, wondering why he needed to go through all this after the hell of last year. Really, in his opinion, he'd had enough experience to be an Auror for ten people.

^-^ ^-^ ^-^

Teddy's grandmother Andromeda Tonks, came by to pick him up two days later, the morning they had to leave to catch the train, with a promise that he could have him any weekend he wanted as long as he kept up with his school work. Harry was rather reluctant to let the child go, though he knew he couldn't take care of him and go to classes at the same time. He'd shoved everything into the trunk he'd never planned to use again haphazardly that morning, believing that this was all some horrible practical joke until the last second. He carefully laid his most important possessions on top, tucked neatly into the folds of his robes. The Sneekascope he'd received from the false Mad-Eye Moody years ago, the shard of the mirror Sirius had given him, his invisibility cloak, the broken old locket, his photo album, the Marauder's Map, and his Firebolt.

He'd just been shoving his wand into his back pocket when Ginny came to get him, her hand wrapping comfortingly around his. "It's just one year, Harry," she murmured, giving him a quick, reassuring hug before turning to grab one end of his trunk to help him lug it down the stairs, "I'm sure it'll blow right by, you'll see. Besides, it's not like everyone else doesn't have to do it too. It's not so bad, once you think of it that way."

Harry didn't reply with anything but a deep sigh as they trudged down the stairs, unable to see the upside of the situation. But he was grateful for her presence all the same, giving her a quick peck to show it before they rounded the corner of the stairs where everyone could see them.

Ron looked just as bad as Harry felt, his face on the kitchen table even as his mother fussed around him, trying to pull him up. In the end, Hermione flicked her wand at him in annoyance, levitating him in the air until he swore that he could walk to the car on his own.

The car ride itself was unusually silent, the four of them seated in the back while Arthur drove. It was the kind of air one would expect on the way to a funeral, not to the first day of school. Hell, even Harry had to admit that the years before had been exciting for him, just being able to get away from the Dursley's. He tried to remember that feeling as they got out onto the platform, trunks in hand. Hogwarts was his home, the one he thought he'd never be able to return to in one piece, let alone _alive_ last year. It was an unthought of opportunity to have that.

He smiled to himself at the idea, his smile turning into an excited laugh that made Ron jump and stare at him as though seeing a Dementor. Harry only laughed harder.

"You're freaking me out," Ron said slowly, glancing at him warily, "What's so funny all of a sudden?"

Harry grinned, "That fact that we're so against this. Who was it that was always whining that we wished we could go back to Hogwarts and just take classes and do homework again like normal kids last year, hmm?" He laughed again as Ron looked at him blankly, "It was us, idiot. We wanted to go back. And now we can."

"Harry's right," Hermione chimed in on Ron's other side, "It's a chance to start over and do a year _right_. Without all the trouble and fear of Voldemort hanging over us. We can relax and read books and do homework and-" her eyes were practically sparkling at the possibility.

"And play Quidditch," Ron added, looking like he too was starting to become excited. "And go to Hogsmead, we couldn't even in sixth year, remember that? And we can eat chocolate frogs, and play chess, and . . . Can we have the D.A. again?" he asked suddenly, looking at Harry for his approval.

"Of course," Harry replied smugly, loving the idea. "And we can sneak out at night to Honeydukes and the Three Broomsticks using those old passages and hold awesome parties in the dorm like the twins used to do."

"And can we lock up Malfoy in the closet so that he doesn't tell the teacher's about our parties?" Ron prompted with a broad smirk.

"Obviously . . ." Harry cut himself off, "Actually, no, Ron. That wouldn't be the best thing to do, I think. Dumbledore said that Draco was allowed to return for a reason. It would be going against his wishes if we did that." He smiled slightly as Ron snorted and looked away, as if that was besides the point, "And anyways," Harry continued, "I don't think Draco would tell the teachers. That's pretty low, even for him."

"Didn't stop him in first year with Norbert," Ron muttered under his breath.

"True," Harry admitted after a moment of thought.

"Or with the D.A. in fifth year," Hermione added, as if she too was skeptical about Malfoy's loyalties.

"Yes but-" Harry closed his mouth, deciding that this was an argument he would lose from the look on Ron's face. He simply rolled his eyes and pushed through the barrier between platform's nine and ten without a second thought.

The train stood there waiting for them just like it always had, looking strangely untouched by the previous year's events. It's black and auburn red exterior glistened in the sunlight that filtered down though skyline high windows in the ceiling. Students bustled about on the platform, moving between saying goodbye to parents and saying hello to old friends. First time parents were waiting, looking anxious as their tiny eleven-year-olds heaved heavy trunks up onto the train, waving enthusiastically at their tearful mothers and fathers. Last minute gifts were passed through windows and forgotten owls shoved into their forgetful owner's arms.

Ron grabbed him by the shoulder, wrenching him out of his daydream like trance, with the cry of, "The train's gonna leave without us if you stand there all day, mate!"

As usual, the three of them had to make a mad dash for the train as it began to pull out of the station, throwing their trunks on and grabbing the bars to follow. And as usual, there were no empty compartments left. Of course, they realized after a moment that this was solely Harry's problem, as it had been in their sixth year, because Ron and Hermione were prefects. Actually, as Hermione had pointed out to them, she was technically Head Girl now. To which Ron had booed and taunted her for, saying that she was a silly know-it-all and other such things, including an insult about Percy thrown into the lot. Hermione had simply pinched him rather harshly at this, making him yell and cover his mouth to keep from cursing.

Harry had eventually had to break it up by referring to them as an "old married couple" before they shut up and went on their way to the prefects compartment, where Ginny had gone a while before. So it was that Harry found himself alone in the train corridor feeling very uncomfortable and in the way, though there was no one else there to be in the way for. After some searching, he managed to find Neville and Luna tucked away in one of the last compartments,

Luna gave him a cheerful wave as he sat down, but otherwise did not look up from her newest edition of the Quibbler. Neville was half asleep, looking similar to how Ron had that morning on the prospect of repeating a year. He caught the raised eyebrow Harry gave him and sat up a bit, "It's easier for you," he snorted, "You weren't there at all last year."

"Well, none of us were really," Luna said absently from beside him, turning a page in her magazine. "I was gone by Christmas break, and you'd run away even before that," she pointed out. "Most of the D.A. in general stayed away from Hogwarts." She looked up as she said that, a hopeful flare in her blue eyes, "Oh, please say we can have D.A. again this year."

Neville too looked pleased at the idea, "Oh, definitely. Then we can finally hear some proper stories about what you three did all that time you were away."

Harry nodded, "Yes, of course we'll have D.A. But . . . About those stories . . ."

"You _have _to tell us," Luna pleaded. "Oh, I mean, I know I was there for some of it, Neville too. But we want all the details! It must have been so hard on you to go through all that, we know, but it'll be part of wizarding history one day!"

"Umm . . ." Harry shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

"Oh, shove off and leave him be," a voice cut in irritably, the glass door the their compartment sliding open rather harshly, "If he doesn't want to talk about it, then he doesn't have to, got it?"

Harry blinked in astonishment as emerald eyes met grey in a stare. His gaze wandered over the slicked silver-blond hair and the elegantly pointed chin then back down to the blazing green ad silver tie that clearly said Slytherin with it's colors alone. Draco Malfoy stared back at him, as if he'd suddenly run out of words after strangely coming to Harry's defense, before looking awkwardly at the ceiling of the car. "Look, this is going to sound really weird . . . But can I . . ." He fisted his hand against the chest of his dark robes, a frustrated look crossing his face, "Oh, bloody-hell, can I just sit here, Potter?" The Gryffindor opened his mouth, but was at a loss for words at the moment, and simply nodded, indicating that Draco could take the seat beside him after Luna sent him a scathing glare that outmatched Neville's by a few good marks. The blond returned the nod with a grateful look, shoving his trunk into the overhead rack and sliding into the seat beside Harry before closing the sliding glass door again. "Thank you," he mouthed to the raven haired boy before growing silent again, fidgeting where he sat as he caught sight of Luna and Neville's glares.

Harry tilted his head to the side, studying Draco curiously for a few moments before he spoke, "Were the other compartment's all full?" he asked, trying to ignore the annoyed look Luna and Neville simultaneously gave him, as if speaking to Malfoy was below him.

"No," Draco muttered, staring pointedly at the floor. "Believe me, Potter, this is the last place I want to be." He shifted on the seat as someone passed down the hall, unconsciously, scooting closer to Harry, shoulders tensing up.

The Gryffindor caught the nervousness in the movement, "Oh . . . Good lord, Draco, don't tell me the Slytherins . . ."

"Turned on me," Draco finished darkly, still not raising his eyes from the floor, "Yes. It was only a matter of time, really. That's why I didn't got to school last year. I disobeyed the Dark Lord, Potter, everyone knows that. Even if half my year is dead or expelled, doesn't mean the rest didn't support him too."

"But . . . Dumbledore died anyways, Snape killed him on orders, would have even if you had had the guts to go through with it," Harry said slowly, confusion clear in his eyes.

"That wasn't how I failed," Malfoy whispered, casting him a glare as his courage was questioned. "I failed because The Dark Lord went and told the Death Eaters that I had, just to teach my mother and father a lesson. And besides that . . ." He turned his gaze to the floor again, "Besides that . . . Even if everyone knew that The Dark Lord was losing his marbles at the time, they couldn't deny that in the final battle . . . I . . ."

"You what?" Harry prompted, curious. "D-defended you," the blond growled out. "And when you were at the manner too," he hissed in frustration. "Do you know what my father and The Dark Lord did to me after you escaped?" He bit his lip, clearly not going to go into further explanation.

Luna raised an eyebrow from where she sat across from them, "From what I heard, you didn't do a thing," she said crossly. "You flat out didn't recognize him because his face was so swollen, as I recall."

Draco looked annoyed at this remark, "Oh, shut up. Of course I recognized him, you twit. How could I not? I doubt even that Weasel could have recognized him in that state had he not seen the jinx worked himself. None of you ever notice the little things about people that really matter when it come down to it. And as _I_ recall, you didn't recognize him at all, Looney Lovegood."

Harry put his hand up to keep them from fighting, "So . . . All that time you were saying that you didn't recognize me . . . You did?"

"Of course, you fool," Draco scoffed. "Your eyes gave it away, that's why I kept my back to you that whole time, I didn't want my family to see that I recognized you." He made a motion towards his own eyes, "Snape was always telling me that your eyes were the key, so I took note of them long ago. Still don't understand why he wanted me to remember that though. Maybe he knew that we'd be in that situation one day?" He shrunk back against his seat as someone else passed down the hall, and Harry narrowed his eyes at the reaction.

He decided to ignore it for now, the way that Malfoy was clearly scared of his classmates, though he kept up his usual cocky air. So Harry merely continued the conversation, catching the interested looks that Luna and Neville were beginning to have. He himself was a little stunned as well too, now that he thought about it. Draco was the last person he'd usually name as someone to have a lengthy chat with, but he felt compelled to carry on with it somehow. And if he gave it a moment's pause, he realized that he'd never really had any sort of conversation with Malfoy at all. Maybe if he had, some things could have gone a lot differently long ago.

_Bad judge of character_, he reminded himself, thinking of Snape again. "Couldn't you have sat with some Hufflepuffs or Ravenclaws then or something? Why here, of all places?"

The blond rolled his eyes, "Well, obviously, everyone not in Slytherin supports you," he waved a hand at Neville and Luna as if they were the example, to which the pair scowled. "That's just as stupid as sitting with anyone from my house."

"Okay, but still," Harry pried, "Why here?"

There was a long moment of silence before Draco answered, "Because Snape once told me that you have the ability to forgive," he muttered softly. "It was my best bet for not getting killed." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, blushing in embarrassment, "And besides . . . You . . . Came back for me in the Room of Requirement. I thought you'd understand, even just a little," he stalled, turning his grey eyes to the ceiling again, "Look, if you want me to go, that's fine. It's not like I'm here because I want to be. It was in Dumbledore's will, that's all. I promise not to bother you again after we get off the train."

Harry sat back against the seat, "No, it's okay, you can stay," he turned a warning look to Luna and Neville as they opened their mouths to protest. "He can stay," he said smoothly, watching as they shut their mouths. "I owe him my life, more times than care to admit. You were there, both of you, when I fought Voldemort," he ignored the flinch from Draco, "And how I won. It was because of Draco, in the end. Bloody hell, even before that, when you all thought I was dead, I was alive because I'd saved this git, Merlin knows why."

"Can we beat him up in the dorm?" Neville asked shrewdly, eyeing Malfoy with distaste.

"Like you could," Draco muttered, hand going to his wand.

"No fighting," Harry cut in, putting his hands between them again. "And if you're good, I'll tell you a story."

"What are we, two?" the blond asked sarcastically.

"Yes," Harry replied immediately, grinning at the glare he received in return. "Now, here's what happened one night while we were camping in some woods somewhere last year and had no food."

"Was this while you were looking for the Horcruxes?" Luna asked with an excited smile.

"Yes," Harry laughed at her enthusiasm. "Now, here's what happened. Me and Ron were starving so we went out to look for some mushrooms . . ."

RANDOM AUTHOR RAMBLE

I have no idea where this bolognas came from. I've had the idea for years, wondering if Harry had to repeat a year for ditching or something like that. And then Drarry worked it's way into my mind and I wondered how that would play out in such a situation. So basically, I've been writing this in my head for ages. And also, I'm having writers block for all my other stuff, so I played with this idea for a bit. :]

It'll be one I continued when I have writers block/general boredom I think, no? Oh, and yes, eventual Draco/Harry Harry/Draco. I think. But I plan to have it end just like in the book's epilogue though, so prepare for angst. Except that I will randomly have Luna and Neville end up together, because that pissed me off in the books more than no Drarry did**. **


End file.
